Born of Blood

Instinct

It was cramped, knees tucked into his chest, shoulders squished against his sides. There was no light, no air, he suffocated. There was no bindings on his arms or legs, he struggled wiggling, moving, he had to get out of the dark. He had to get out.

He barely move. Still he placed his feet against the flat surface, pushing. Kicking, had to get out, had to get out. The air was thin. He was moving. Chest rising and falling and rising and falling. He looked unable to close his eyes, teeth grinding against each other.

His body still hurt. Head pounding and screaming. Before the movement stopped, the bumps, the sliding, it all stopped. He could hear the clicking, the crunch, the stomps. Someone was moving closer.

Then the air, the light, it all hit him at once. He looked, his body covered in white bandages, head wrapped tightly, only small locks of hair squeezing between the gauze. The area around him unfamiliar, grass and large trees littering the entire space. His heart thumped loudly within his chest, threatening to burst. He could hear a light rumble behind him. He moved fast, eyes looking to the two men that stood before him.

Their clothes unlike any he had seen before.

The two men wore military fatigues, however there were no insignias that divulged which military they belonged to. Their eyes uncaring as they stared at the child in front of them. They did not speak. The soldier on the right grabbing his sheathed knife that sat attached to the right shoulder of his vest.

At the blade's appearance, the boy sitting, scooted backward eyes narrowing. His body trembled, he was afraid, however his small fists clenched. That was all before the knife was tossed at his feet. There was little hesitation, grabbing the handle the boy took the knife in hand. His gaze never left the soldier's, his mind had completely shut out, there were no thoughts, his body only moved.

No words came from the boy's mouth, but a low constant growl came from him, his throat burned. His hand clenching tightly around the knife's handle. He waited listening as the soldier on the left's radio crackled to life. It was an unintelligible mess. The very noise making the boy place his free hand against his head. He backed away from noise, a rise in his chest warming his heart. It was 'Loud!' his head throbbed even more. He hated it! The pain!

His grip grew even tighter and for a fraction of a second he had moved, the tip of the knife pointing towards the soldier's direction.

*BANG*

His approach was stopped, the other soldier held a pistol. Barrel smoking. The ground in front of the boy sporting a new hole. Despite the fact the noise had nearly ruptured his ears, the boy could recognize the danger, he slowly backed up, watching the gun. A minute passed before the soldier had stopped responding to the radio. The soldier looked to his comrade before shaking his head. The bag the pistol wielding soldier held in his other hand was meant to be given to the boy. Inside, water, rations, medical supplies and a map. All of which, by the order of the radio would not be given.

Instead the soldier shot at the ground in front of the boy again, this time not stopping until the boy was forced to turn and run into the large rainforest that surrounded them. As soon as the boy left their line of sight the pair reentered their vehicle and soon left.

.

All he had was the knife in his hand. The boy stalked through the brush that littered the ground before him. His bare feet covered in mud as he moved forward. There was no sense of direction, he only knew that going back wasn't possible. The pain and hunger that coursed through his body failed to go away. Each movement hurt and as he passed through bushes full of thorns, small cuts had began littering his body.